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"When Lady Alinor sent me word of her second marriage," Sir Peter began dully, "I was well pleased. I loved Sir Simon well, but his long illness left us with nowhere to turn for help. Lady Alinor would do what she could, but she was tied to her husband's side in his illness. Here on the borders of Wales it is often the knowledge that a strong man will come, rather than his actual coming, that keeps the peace. Soon upon that time, Lord Gwenwynwyn and I went for a hunt, and I asked him if he knew you. He was nowise pleased at my newsnow I see it; then I did not. He spoke great praise of you, but he told me, too, that you were clan brother to Lord Llewelyn. I do not know how it came about, but he made it clear to me that you were a close party to Llewelyn's desire to eat all of Wales." |
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Ian's hauberk was on, and Geoffrey was buckling his sword belt. "No," he said shortly. "And not because I do not love Llewelyn or that I do not think Wales would do better under him as master. It is because I know the Angevins too well. If Llewelyn unifies Wales under his rule, John will fall upon him with all the strength of Englandand I will be torn apart between my two liege lords. But that is beside the point. Why should you care if Llewelyn ruled Wales?" |
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"Because," replied Sir Peter, "I was given to understand that to rule Wales, the first step must be to draw Gwenwynwyn into battle, and what better way to do that than to set a man in Clyro Keep who would offend Gwenwynwyn?" |
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"You thought Lady Alinor would agree to this?" |
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"I believed she would obey you. At your wedding, she could look on no one else than you nor hear what any man other than you spoke. And when she came here, she near killed me when I barely" |
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It was true, Alinor had come to him eagerly, Ian thought, Sir Peter's voice a meaningless mumble in the background. She had loved him eagerly. They had a month of nearly perfect joy. Quarrels, yes. It was im- |
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